Device for handling and airing mattresses or like bulky articles



Oct. 10, 1939. DE QUINCEY VINING Y 2,175,981

DEVICE FOR HANDLING AND AIRING MATTRESSES OR LIKE BULKY ARTICLES Filed June 21, 1938 peQuifl/cey Vining Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE De Quincey Vining, Atlanta,- Ga. Application June 21, 1938', serial No. 2151647 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a means for handling and airing mattresses or like bulky articles and is an improvement over the construction embodied in my Patent No. 2,050,906, which issued August 11, 1936.

An object of this invention isto provide a suitable carrier or support of a portable nature which is adapted to receive a mattress on a swinging frame embodied in the device so that the mattress may be easily transported from one place to another and may be supported in either a substantially vertical or horizontal position for airing or cleaning of the'mattress.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a device of this kind means whereby the supporting means for the mattress may be readily" held against movement during the time that the mattress is being pulled onto the frame.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved fastening means for fastening the mattress to the swinging frame so that mattresses of different thicknesses may be readily placed on the swinging frame and firmly held thereupon.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a perspective view partly broken away and in section of a device constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a detail end elevation partly broken away'an'd' in section of the device having a mattress mounte'd thereupon.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan of the device with a mattress secured to the swinging frame thereof. 1

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4" of Figure 2; showing the operation of the frame securing means.

Referring tothe-dra-wing, the numeral l designates generally a base of suitable length and width which is provided at each end thereof with uprights or standards I I, which are secured at their lower ends to the opposite ends of the base Ill. The base H] is supported for movement over a plane surface by means of a pair of elongated bars or strips I2 having casters l3 at the opposite ends thereof and a turntable or circular member I4 is interposed between the bar i2 and the underside of the base [0.

A pivotal bolt l5 engages through the center of the turntable I4 and through the board or strip l2 and the base It. The table i4 is provided at a suitable point with a hole it in which a; bolt or holding pm I! carried by the base It) is adapted to engage so as toghold the table M in a position with the strips- 12 at right angles to the length of the ba e It], as shown in Figure 1. Withdrawal of the pins l1 from the turntable l4 and the base it will permit swinging movement of the turntable i i so as to position the strips I2 substantially longitudinally of the base and in thisman'rier the device may be positioned in a relatively narrow space for storage purposes.

- The uprights H are provided at their upper ends with upwardly opening slots 18 in which a shaft I9 is adapted to engage. The shaft [9 is heldin a'dji'i'ste'd position relative to the length of thesl'ots' [B by means of a U-shaped supporting" member or bearing 20 engaging in selected pairs of openings 2| provided in each upright I I. A swinging frar'iie, generally designated as 22, is secured to the shaft [9 and comprises a plurality of parallel slats or bars 23 secured together by means of longitudinal strips 24 which are secured to the under sides'of the strips or slats 23 on opposite sides of the shaft l9. The swinging frame 22 is adapted to behel'd in a substantially horizontal position b'y" means of pairs of swinging bracing bars 25', there being one pair of bracing bars 25 ateach end of the frame 22. These bars 25' have managed ends pivotally secured in the end slats 23 and their opposite ends are free and are adapted to engage against longitudinal strips 26 which are secured to the opposite edges of the base [0 and extend upwardly therefrom. I

The opposite ends of the slats 23'are provided with notches 2 in which a flexible mattress holding member 28 is adapted to engage so as to tightlyl'iold the mattress M on the top of the swinging frame 22. One end'of the cord or flexible member 28 may be secured to one of the end slats 23 and then passed back and forth across the top of the mattress engaging in the notches ofithe' respective intermediate slats, as shown in Figure 3. Preferably, a pair of longitudinal bars 29 are interposed between the flexible member 28 and the top of the mattress M so that the pressure of the clamping or holding member 28 will be evenly distributed along the length of the mattress M.

One pair of intermediate slats 23a is provided with swinging end members 23b secured to the slat members 23a by means of hinges 30 or the like. In this manner, the two oppositely swinging end members or extensions 23b may be swung away from each other so as to enlarge the space at substantially the center of the swinging frame 22 and thus facilitate the pulling of the mattress over the surface of the frame 22. The pressure of the mattress M on the frame 22 will readily hold the pivoted slat members 231) in substantial alinement with the fixed slat members 23a.

In order to prevent movement of the device during the operation of pulling the mattress on the frame 22, I have provided a brake member or pedal 3| which is swingably secured, as at 32, to the base If] and extends laterally and downwardly thereof, as shown in Figure 2, so that a foot may be applied to the pedal 3| in order to depress the lower portion thereof for contact With a floor and thus firmly hold the base against movement during the time that the mattress is being pulled onto the top of the frame 22.

The swinging frame 22 may be held in the substantially vertical position in which it is indicated in dotted outline in Figure 2 by means of the holding bar 33 which is pivotally secured at one end, as indicated at 34, to the inner side of one of the strips 26 which extends along the base [0. This connection 34 is near one of the uprights H and the adjacent upright is provided with a slot 35 in which the free end of the bar 33 may engage, as illustrated in Figure 4'. The bar 33 is designed to normally lie on the base I0 when it is not in use and it is moved to this position by swinging the frame 22 sufficiently to allow the free upper end of the bar to swing over beneath the frame so that the bar may lie fiat upon the base. In Figure 1 the bar is shown in the position which it occupies when it is employed for maintaining the frame 22 in raised position. The bar 33 may be allowed to remain in this position when the frame is horizontally disposed, or it may be swung to the previously described position on the base if] as may be desired by the operator of the device.

The inner faces of the slats of the two end slats 23 nearest the bar 33 are provided each with a hook 36. These hooks are so disposed near the ends of the slats 23 that when the frame 22 is swung to substantially vertical position, as indicated in dotted outline in Figure 2, the bar 33 may be dropped across these hooks as shown in Figure 4, and its free end positioned in the slot 35. Thus it will be seen that the bar and hooks operate to maintain the frame firmly in vertical position.

In the use and operation of this device, the frame 22 may be loosely disposed with respect to the uprights II with the bracing bars 25 disengaged from the strips 26. The pivoted slat members 23b may be swung away from each other so that a person may stand substantially within one side of the frame 22 and thus readily pull the mattress on top of the frame 22. After the mattress has been placed on the frame 22, the bracing bars 25 may be engaged with the strips 26 so as to hold the swinging frame 22 in a substantially horizontal position and then the holding bars 29 may be placed on top of the mattress M and the cord or flexible member 28 passed back and forth across the bars 29 and the top of the mattress with the cord 28 engaging in the notches 21 of each slat 23 at each end thereof, if desired, or at alternate ends of the parallel slats 23, as shown in Figure 3.

It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device for handling and airing mattresses comprising a base, uprights carried by the base, a frame structure swingably supported between the uprights, said frame structure comprising a plurality of spaced parallel slats, longitudinal slats coupling said parallel slats, said parallel slats having notches cut therein adjacent their ends, flexible means engageable in said notches for securing a mattress on said frame structure, and means for maintaining the frame structure vertically between said uprights consisting of a bar pivotally attached at one end to said base, a hook member carried by one of said slats in which the bar may engage when the frame is vertically disposed and means for coupling the free end of said bar with an upright when the bar is disposed in said hook member.

2. A device for handling and airing of mattresses, comprising an elongated base, upstanding flanges extending along the longitudinal edges of the base, uprights carried by the base at the ends thereof, a frame structure, means swingably supporting said structure between the uprights, a pair of bars pivotally attached to said frame structure at an end and at points spaced across the frame, each of said bars being of a length to engage its free end against the base flange remote from the pivoted end thereof when the frame is in horizontal position, the bars when so engaged at their free ends being in crossed relation to maintain the frame horizontally.

3. A device for handling and airing of mattresses, comprising an elongated base, upstanding flanges extending along the longitudinal edges of the base, uprights carried by the base at the ends thereof, a frame structure, means swingably supporting said structure between the uprights, a pair of bars pivotally attached to said frame structure at an end and at points spaced across the frame, each of said bars being of a length to engage its free end against the base flange remote from the pivoted end thereof when the frame is in horizontal position, the bars when so engaged at their free ends being in crossed relation to maintain the frame horizontally, and means coupled with the base and engageable with a floor to frictionally hold the device against movement on the floor.

DE QUINCEY VINING. 

